| “ | Iberian warfare was endemic and based on intertribal raiding and pillaging. In set piece battle, Iberians were known to regularly charge and retreat, throwing javelins and shouting at their opponents without actually committing to full contact combat. This sort of fighting was termed concursare by the Romans.
— Wikipedia article on the Iberians
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The Iberian Soldiers or Hispani Soldiers were famous mercenaries and tribal warriors in Roman times, mostly due to their helping of Hannibal Barca and Carthage in the Second Punic War. When they weren't fighting for other nations, they were fighting other tribes with weapons like the Falcata, Gladius Hispaniensis, and Soliferrums with high quality iron. They were adept at ambushes and guerrilla tactics in combat, adding to their effectiveness.
They were separated into two infantry groups based on what shield they used, Scutati carried Scutums and Caetrati carried Caetras. They were adept at horseback combat and horse breeding as well which made them an even greater asset to their clients. The Iberians fought in many Mediterranean places for Carthage and Rome. Carthage took over the Iberian territories after the First Punic War but after the Second Punic War and Carthage's defeat, Rome took over the Iberian territories and crushed their rebellions.
Battle vs. Zulu Warrior (by Pygmy Hippo 2)[]
Carthage
Carthage's preparations for war against the Roman Empire had been halted for a while by the sudden attacks of a mysterious new army of attackers led by a man called Shaka. The General Hannibal had formed a small force of Iberian Caetrati mercenaries to go out and see if they could find the enemy's base. Instead, the Iberians had found a force equal in numbers to theirs and decided to wait for orders from their employer before engaging the enemy.
The small force of Zulu Impi soldiers had been sent to scout the territory after King Shaka heard rumors of mercenaries being hired and protect the base. They noticed another group but followed their leader's orders and did not pursue them after they left. The Zulu were sure that there would be an army coming but instead, the same force returned and started running at them while yelling with javelins in one hand and shields in the other.
"Zulu! Zulu!" The Impis shouted their own battle cries and drew Assegais with their Isihlangu shields before throwing them at the approaching enemies who took some losses from the throwing spears but the Caetra shields and bronze armor of some blocked the majority of projectiles. The Caetrati got witin Soliferrum range and unleashed a much more lethal barrage that tore through the wooden ox-hide shields with ease and the unarmored flesh of their foes with ease. Needless to say, the Zulu were shaken by the fact that most of their shields were gone but were driven into a frenzy when the Iberians began retreating and pursued them to avenge their losses.
The Caetrati merely looked back and their leader nodded to make them draw slings and start firing bullets at their now much less-equipped adversaries who wound up getting broken bones and falling over if they didn't have an Isihlangu anymore and the few that did still had to witness some men getting their foreheads split open with rocks and killed. However said losses only amounted to a handful and the Impi retaliated with a barrage of Iwisas that did much less damage, the wooden clubs mostly bounced off the enemy's armor and only two poor mercenaries got the same fate that their enemies had. The Zulus and Iberians finally got within melee distance and the chaotic combat that followed actually made the tide seem like it was changing.
While a couple Impis were foolish enough to utilize the Iwisa at short range, the Iklwa and Zulu Axe proved more effective than the Falcata and Gladius Hispaniensis at killing their foes despite the armor. This was made even worse as the Isihlangu was able to disarm the Caetrati of their namesake and then finish them off with a precise blow to unarmored parts. The Iberians started retreating as a couple more men held the Zulus back before being slain and retreated to a nearby valley where their opponents lost them and were then taken off-guard as a couple men wound up with hacked open heads.
The Impi quickly reacted to the Caetrati's ambush and once more fought them with their best weapons but the previous losses had taken their toll and the majority of them now had to fight two enemies, a situation that resulted in them getting butchered. A couple men kept fighting with fury and one soldier with a Iklwa and Axe tore through throats and stomachs before a Gladius stabbed through his back and out his chest. The rest of the Zulu began retreating and were picked off by ranged attacks, one catching a bullet to the back of his head and another getting a Soliferrum in all of his limbs before his head was punctured.
Two Impi finally faced off against the seven remaining Caetrati and one of them stabbed through an unarmored mercenary's chest with an Assegai before beating another to death with his Isihlangu before being surrounded by four men and stabbed with Soliferrums relentlessly. The leaders then stood off against each other and after a couple misses, the Falcata lopped off the Iklwa's spear point and a Caetra punch broke his foe's hand behind his shield. The Zulu quickly pulled out his Axe and caught the Iberian's blade before tearing it away and then hooked his foe's shield away.
However this gave time for the Caetrati leader to pull out his Gladius and hack down on the man's forearms, literally disarming him, before disembowling him and finally splitting the Impi's head down the middle. His fellows joined him afterwards before they left the bodies there and returned back to Carthage to tell their employer the good news of their victory. What happened next is history as King Shaka was certainly not prepared for an army of armored mercenaries with cavalry and war elephants, winding up another victory of the General Hannibal.
Winner:Iberian Caetrati
Expert's Opinion[]
The Zulu Impi had the better combo of blade and shield, a better secondary melee weapon, and experience against more technologically advanced foes and skirmishers but the Iberian Caetrati dominated ranged combat, had more armor to protect them, and their tactics enabled them to wear down their foes. In the end, the Zulu couldn't close the distance against the Iberians before their numbers were dwindled too much.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Han Soldier (by Pygmy Hippo 2)[]
Southern Africa
The Zulu Impi that remained were being forced into service as Carthaginian mercenaries and their people were made to work for their war machine as the war elephants trumpeted in victory over the broken corpses of their enemies. Hannibal Barca gave his orders to a small group of Iberian Caetrati and they immediately began scouting the territory for anyone who escaped their conquest or any other warriors that could prove to be a threat to the Empire's rule. The Iberians saw smoke in the distance and investigated to find a village that looked more like their employer's style with warriors who looked to be dressed similarly and warriors with foreign weapons that they hadn't seen before, at the moment, they just decided to watch the conflict but if either side advanced on the new Carthaginian lands...
The Vandals' newest invasion had not gone well for them, in fact, their hones were now being invaded by the very military of the Dynasty that they had tried to end in the east and suffered an embarrassing loss in an island batttle to. The Han Soldiers had an equally strong navy backing them up but it had been a difficult journey although their victories against these barbaric warriors in their homelands was going as well as the campaign to force them out of Chinese lands had gone. The newest village was completely crushed under the Han army's might and a scout rode over to a small group of Soldiers to tell them that there were men watching their actions from high ground farther away, they decided to investigate tomorrow and rest for the night.
The Iberians had been asleep after that and were going back to their previous positions but realized that the Han that they saw earlier were approaching their position and they yelled at them before grabbing their javelins. The Dynasty defenders reacted quickly to the Carthaginian mercenaries rushing them and quickly utilized their crossbows to start firing at them but they managed to avoid or block most of the shots although one got hit in the eye and another in the shoulder. The Caetrati watched as the aconitum poison caused their fellow to fall over dead with their other member in a couple moments but their own barrage had devastating effects against the more lightly armored soldiers, five of their bodies getting Soliferrums and Falaricas through them.
Despite those gruesome losses, the rest of the Han survived either through their iron lamellar armor protecting them or being quick enough to raise a shield with one last shot by their leader hitting an Iberian in the throat. The Dynasty defender yanked the Falarica out of his armor and ordered his men to follow him as they pursued the fleeing Carthaginian mercenaries who kept throwing projectiles behind them. A heavily armored Soldier finally fell as a Soliferrum went into his head but the rest continued charging with their Ji and Huan Shou Dao drawn before their cavalry units came from behind the Caetrati and swung their polearms at their necks with four getting stabbed in the charge.
The Iberians had cavalry as well who quickly moved in to protect their infantry units by hurling even more javelins at the opposing Han cavalry, knocking at least two of the heavily armored men off their horses who ran off, as they picked up most of the survivors. The Dynasty defenders could only angrily watch as the Carthaginian mercenaries got away and take cover from the hail of projectiles until it was safe to go ahead and see if their horsemen needed medical attention, one man had hurt his back and the other stood guard over him while the rest continued their hunt. The Caetrati were running out of Soliferrums and Falaricas and the leader decided to give the cavalry their last ones before they dropped them off into a suitable ambush position where they waited with drawn swords for the Han to get close enough to attack.
The Han were charged by the cavalry once again but their own units were quick enough to yank two of the attackers off their horses with Ji blades through their sides but they didn't notice the Iberians sneaking closer to them. A Dynasty defender's Ji handle was hacked through by a Gladius Hispaniensis before his forearm was cut off and as he screamed in pain, it came for his throat next, and three more wound up getting similar fates or just a Falcata in the gut if they were lightly armored. The Soldier leader blocked a short sword blade with his Gou Xiang hooks before decapitating the Caetrati with his Dao and four more men wound up being bested by getting disarmed by the gauntlets or just outranged with one poor man spitting up blood as he toppled over with a slashed gut.
The remaining Iberians quickly realized they were at a disadvantage and their leader ordered them to retreat as another cavalry troop wound up getting pulled off his mount through a Ji in his mouth but one of the Han cavalry had been turned into a pincushion and another's horse was struck before he landed on his neck. After the sickening snap made the Dynasty defenders look away from the Carthaginian mercenaries for a moment, they took the opportunity to reload their Crossbows without knowing that their enemies had went to the beginning area of the battle once more. The Soldier bravely defended his friend but he couldn't avoid the Soliferrum hitting his neck and a Falarica in his heart which made his bolt hit the Caetrati cavalry in the gut instead who collapsed on his fleeing horse.
The wounded Han begged for mercy but the Iberians approached him with their blades and hacked away at him as his screams filled the air before one of them coughed up blood as he fell forwards, a Crossbow shot having hit his back. The Dynasty defenders charged with fury against the Carthaginian mercenaries and wound up getting a man's throat slashed from behind by the enemy cavalry's Gladius before their own horseman pursued him. The Soldiers quickly gained an advantage through their sword and gauntlet style of melee combat once more and one Caetrati got tag-teamed which resulted in his Ceatra and Falcata being knocked out of his hands before he was slashed repeatedly.
The Iberian cavalry looked behind him to see the Han horseman following and quickly pulled his last Soliferrum out before swiftly turning around and aiming his throw so that it would hit his foe. The Carthaginian mercenary grinned before looking in shock as he was knocked off his horse as well through a Ji to the torso while his Dynasty defendef opponent was battered from the javelin and landing, he would live unlike his arrogant foe. The last Caetrati fought furiously with one cutting the last lightly armored Soldier's torso completely open with his Falcata before his arms were cut off by the opposing leader's Dao before his head went.
The Han had the Iberian leader on the defensive but he noticed a chance to go for of his attacker's legs and hacked through it which made him topple with a yell before he was silenced by his throat getting cut. The other Dynasty defender pushed him back but was caught off guard by a punch from the Caetra and could only watch in shock as the Gladius Hispaniensis came for him next as blood splattered him once more but from the Carthaginian mercenary. The Caetrati's eyes rolled back as the Soldier leader kicked his body aside after stabbing his Huan Shou Dao through his ribcage and nodded at his remaining men before the two went looking for other survivors.
Winner:Han Soldiers
Expert's Opinion[]
The Iberian Caetrati had an equally lethal mid range weapon in the Soliferrum to go up against the Ji, considerable experience from their mercenary careers, and unconventional guerrilla tactics. The Han Soldiers eventually adapted to such tactics however and their own service as a military for an entire dynasty gave them as much if not more experience with heavy armor actually being worn by them. The final nail in the Iberian's coffin was how the Han had better weapons in almost every category with the Huan Shou Dao and Crossbow outranging the Gladius Hispaniensis and Falaricas along with the Gou Xiang countering the Falcata.